Observational research
What is observational research?
This is any research that can be performed without asking questions. It involves recording factual information.
Examples include:
- Footfall of shoppers entering, or window-shopping without entering, stores at particular times of day or year
- Consumers’ eye movements looking at a display to work out what attracts their attention
- On shelf availability of products and their price
- Volume of vehicular traffic to create models for areas of congestion
- Differences in the provision of council services such as street lights, verge maintenance and paving
What are the advantages of observational research?
With observational research, the information recorded is objective. It does not depend on someone’s co-operation or memory. This removes any concern that people are ‘just saying’ something rather than meaning it.
Next steps
Would you like to discuss how observational research could help your business or organisation? Email us on [email protected], call 0800 6523740, email us at [email protected], or complete our enquiry form.
I’ve been using PCP for more than 15 years and have always been impressed by their professional service, attention to detail and flexibility. The team regularly goes out of their way to help meet tight deadlines and offer valuable advice.
Alistair Lockhart (Insight Director)Savvy, LeedsOur academic team at Northumbria have worked with PCP for seven years now, and I have always been thrilled with the service provided. What initially started as me requesting PCP to collect some data on my behalf has become a wider partnership which many academics take advantage of.
PCP have always been swift and reliable. Irrespective of the complexity of our requests these are handled with ease, providing credible data in good time and in a very accessible format. Their work has enabled multiple staff to achieve some very prestigious academic publications which is testimony to the rigour of PCP’s work. I would not hesitate to recommend them to any other academics looking for a cost-efficient means of accessing representative data.
Dr David Hart, Associate Professor in Marketing, Northumbria University